To the Strongest 2.1g Edited

[email protected] To the Strongest! Version 2.1g ( “To “To the Strongest” were Alexander the Great’s reputed deathbed words to his generals, when handing over his signet ring to indicate who should succeed him)

Contents Introduction and Design Notes 1.0 Preparations for Battle 1.

What any Aspiring General Will Need in Order to Fight a Battle

2.0 The “To the Strongest!” Basic Rules 3.0 The “To the Strongest!” Advanced Rules 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Further guidance on activations Terrain Specialist units Advanced set up Optional rules Stratagems Advice for aspiring generals

4.0 Competitive Play 1. 2. 3. 4.

Point values and saves Army lists Club games Scenarios

5.0 Campaign Rules

To the Strongest! ©Simon Miller, London January 2014

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[email protected] Introduction and Design Notes Introduction To the Strongest! is a set of rules for tabletop wargaming, designed to give novices an easy entertaining introduction to ancient wargaming, whilst as the same time providing seasoned gamers with a challenging battle that can comfortably be concluded in an an evening, with a glass of wine or beer to hand. They enable players to fight ancient battles from the emergence of massed warfare, through the period of the great th empires of Rome, Macedon and China (amongst others), until the introduction of cannon in the 14 Century. The rules are designed to be scale-able, so that they can be used for anything from solo play with 100 or so miniatures, through to multiplayer games with 2000 plus miniatures and up to 5 players a side. A square grid has been used to promote speed of play. This also means that figures which have based for different rule systems, or are singly based, can be used together on the same battlefield. The basic rule mechanics are simple enough that engage players who haven’t previously used them, can be taught the basics of the basic rules in around 10 minutes and will have a fair grasp of the rules by the end of their first game. These can be printed on a two-sided sheet of A4 paper, for easy use at the table. Once players have mastered the basic rules, they can progressively introduce rules from the additional optional sections, dealing with specialist unit types and formations. Further sections include include examples of play, competitive play and sample army lists. The rules are written in plain English, and jargon has been kept to a minimum. The rules will be supported by additional publications including army lists, scenarios, and campaign material. Absolutely no dice are used in TtS! Instead, an innovative (and en tertaining) mechanic uses playing pla ying cards to activate units, which can potentially move or fight multiple times during a turn. Missile fire and melee are resolved both speedily and decisively. The author believes that the rules will be easily grasped by gamers new to the hobby or the period, and yet that the more seasoned gamer will find sufficient command decisions to entertain and challenge him or her. Despite the relative simplicity of the rules, the author believes that they capture the essential flavour of an ancient battle.

Design Notes In the view of the author, ancient battles were, generally, linear affairs, where the two sides lined up parallel to each other and advanced more or less directly forward, into contact with the enemy. Formations of part-time ancient warriors usually lacked the drill required to change facing quickly, so punching through an enemy line was often the best they could hope to achieve. However, there were exceptions: the Spartans, for example, could march rings around their neighbours, and professional armies such as the Romans spent long enough under arms to become far more capable than their opponents. Further, exceptional generals such as Epaminondas, Alexander and Caesar were able to win victories by training and organising their troops well, and also, sometimes, through innovative deployments of their armies. TtS! is played on a simple, square grid. The author had become concerned that the hexagonal grids that he used in most games, favoured inclining attacks. He was often able to bring part of his centre in contact with an enemy wing. A square grid means that, in general, most units will will advance to fight the enemy directly opposite them. The use of a grid also means that figures based for different systems can be freely used against each other, so WAB-based minis can happily fight against those figures based for the WRG rule systems, or Impetus. Moreover he estimates that the use of a grid saves thirty minutes to an hour in every game, as there is no need for measurement, nor indeed measures, templates or suchlike flummery. A square grid can be marked out in 10 minutes or so, and rendered almost invisible, because subtle markings are required only at the corners of the squares. In TtS!, battlefield friction, the “force that makes the apparently easy, so difficult”, is simulated by simple activation tests, made in seconds using playing cards, that units must pass to move, charge, evade or rally. Failure in any test usually ends the turn for the entire command to which the unit unit belongs. A player will, therefore, have a rather greater chance of successfully activating all of the units in a small command than a















[email protected] are thrown onto the table. In general, melees will be won by the side in the better tactical situation and with the better troops. However, the melee rules are designed to throw up the occasional shock; sometimes an elite unit will unexpectedly break, in combat, as they did in history. The author very much enjoys card-based rule systems, but has elected not to use specially printed cards with this version of the rules, because they add considerably to the cost, if professionally printed, or when distributed as a pdf, are rarely printed out and used. Instead, this game requires each player to bring only two decks of standard playing cards.















[email protected] Part 1 Preparations for Battle 1.1 What an Aspiring General Will Need in Order to Fight a Battle This section briefly describes the table, models, cards and markers needed in order to play a game. Two Armies Two armies of miniatures are required to play this game. These can be in in any size from 2mm 2mm to 54mm tall. If miniatures aren’t available, though, the game can always be played with cut-out pieces of cardboard, or even with Lego bricks (with which the author’s earliest battles were fought). These miniatures will need to be grouped into units. Ideally, these units should be slightly slightly less wide than are the boxes. 12cm wide units work well with 15cm boxes, and 18cm wide wide with 20cm, but exact unit widths are not important. One great advantage of this grid-based system is that figures can be individually individually based, or based in “elements” of 2-4 2 -4 figures, or even the larger Impetus-based elements can be used. Moreover, opposing armies don’t even need to be based for the same rule system. The author feels that it adds a great deal to the “colour” of the game when units are individually named (3 Quingenary Cohort of Tungrians or, perhaps, “the Warband of the Leaping Salmon”).

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Generals are usually represented by a small vignette depicting the commander, perhaps accompanied by a standard bearer or cornicen. More senior officers will have more “flunkeys” hanging around them, on a larger diameter dioramic base. It is convenient (but far from essential) that command bases be circular, circular, to make them stand out amongst the rectangular units. As with units, it is great for gaming “colour” to be able to see a general’s name, name, inscribed on the base. Many gamers use a representative scale around 1:30, with units of 16 miniatures based on 20mm per miniature frontage; this would also work well with the above box dimensions. The author is blessed with a substantial collection of miniatures, and finds that, for him, a representative scale around 1:20 works well. He uses foot units of 24 minis based on a 15mm per figure frontage, representing a cohort-sized body of up to 480 men. His cavalry and light units are smaller, with 6-10 miniatures. Deeper units such as phalangitae and warbands field 36 or 48 miniatures, with some huge units (levy phalangitae, for example) reaching 72 miniatures. In 1:20 representative scale, a 20cm box box represents an area of roughly 80m on each side. For larger battles, the author uses a scale of 1:50, with a Roman legion represented by 4 units of 24 figures each, plus a command stand. In 1:50 representative scale, a box represents an area around 200m on each side. This said, these rules are extremely flexible; do please feel free to use a representative scale that suits your collection! Expanded section on Basing, with photos A gaming table marked with a square grid To the Strongest! is an unapologetically grid-based set of rules. There was a time when the author hated grids, but he eventually came to realise that he hated measurement even more! A huge upside of grids is increased speed of play, and TtS! permits a 1000+ mini game to be completed in around 2 hours, even by relatively inexperienced inexperienced players. Moreover, the use of grids does away with the need for the precision-engineered measuring sticks and wheeling templates that, in the opinion of the author, contribute little to the world world of wargaming. Grids also greatly diminish the likelihood of disagreements disagreements between players. Regarding aesthetics; one potential downside of grids is that they can be fearfully ugly. In the author’s view, the best grid is an almost invisible grid; more often than not players encountering his games do not even realise that there is a grid involved. With his much-used arid “Zama” terrain boards, he used map pins, painted beige, to mark the grid intersections. These can just be distinguished, when one knows what to look for. On static-grass boards, he uses a tiny black dot at the corners, instead. instead. It isn’t necessary to drawn the full lines along the edges of the boxes. Natural terrain pieces, such as woods, woods, should not be exactly square, and ideally have irregular edges. It is quite acceptable for these pieces to be slightly smaller or larger than the















[email protected] Below are the author’s recommended grid and table dimensions, and the suggested figure scales and unit sizes that work best with them. The midi-level game, highlighted in blue, below, is is recommended for beginners as it can be played on the traditional 6’ by 4’ table, much beloved by gamers, with armies of around a dozen units a side. Recommended grid and table sizes for 15mm or smaller figures Game size

Unit Size

Unit Frontage

Grid size

Mini Midi Maxi

Small units Medium sized-units Large units

40mm frontage 80mm frontage 120mm frontage

50mm 100mm 150mm

Recommended table size 600mm x 400mm 1200mm x 800mm 1800mm x 1200mm

Recommended grid and table sizes for 20mm and larger figures Game Size

Unit Size

Unit Frontage

Grid size

Mini Midi Maxi

Small units Medium sized-units Large units

60mm frontage 120mm frontage 180mm frontage

75mm 150mm 200mm

Recommended table size 900mm x 600mm 1800mm x 1200mm 2400mm x 1800mm

Two decks of playing cards TtS! dispenses with the handfuls of dice that are used in the majority of wargames. Instead it uses decks of of playing cards, which enable movement and combat to be resolved rather more quickly than they could be with dice. Each player will need a deck of 80 playing cards, consisting of two packs of 52 cards, with the court cards and jokers removed (although the game can be played, at a pinch, with a single pack of cards for each player). The court cards are used to generate random events in the Campaign game. Alternatively, instead of playing cards, chits printed with playing card symbols and numbers can be used, drawn from a drawstring bag. These chits work particularly well with with the relatively small 50mm grids used on the 2mm/6mm/15mm table, where it’s not possible to place normal playing cards on the table, as the grid is physically too small to accommodate them! Such chits are used in the Crosshand Crosshand Poker board game, and used sets can be purchased quite cheaply, on eBay. Suitable terrain Unless the battle is to be fought on a featureless plain (and of course, many were), one or both players will provide terrain pieces. The size of these will need to approximately correspond to the grid, although they can be larger; a long ridge, for example, composed of several hills placed next to each other, might extend across 5 or 6 boxes. In the case of woods, it is nice nice to use a dark piece of cloth, cut very roughly but irregularly to the shape of the box, with free-standing trees on top of it, that can be moved to accommodate figures as required. Roads run through the centre of boxes, and streams along their edge. Rivers fill a row of boxes, and and are one or more boxes wide. Picture of a hill, and woods Sundry markers Three types of markers are used in TtS!. Firstly, victory medals are coins or gaming tokens which are used to visually track which side is winning the game and which losing. A couple of dozen bronze, silver silver or gold tokens should be enough for even the largest games. Modern coins, or even chocolate coins, will will do, but replica ancient coins, if available, add character. The gamer with exceptionally exceptionally deep pockets might use original Roman aurei and denarii... Victory medals, left and ammo markers, right















[email protected] Third and finally, games require baggage markers, typically three for each side for a medium-sized game. Baggage markers can be simply a folded piece of paper, indicating a tent, but are ideally depicted using the excellent vignettes that many miniatures companies produce: tents, or perhaps a wagon with a pay chest and a broken wheel, a herd of fat cattle, or a camp scene. Photo of baggage markers

















[email protected] Part 2 The “To the Strongest!” Basic Strongest!” Basic Rules The Table Table should be marked with a grid of squares, hereafter referred to as “boxes”, each wide enough to accommodate a unit of miniatures in line. A practical grid size for most games is 12 boxes wide by 8 deep. Armies Armies Two armies are required; each consisting of several “commands” commands” led by a general and typically composed of 4-12 units. Each army will be led by a commanding general, who may or may not have a command of his own. Players will typically be responsible for managing one to three commands each. Units Units Formed infantry units include legionaries, auxiliaries, hoplites, phalangites and warband. Unformed infantry include light infantry and elephants. Some infantry units are double depth or “deep”. Formed mounted units include cavalry/chariots, and unformed mounted include light cavalry/chariots and scythed chariots. Cards Each Cards Each player will need a deck of 80 cards, composed of 2 packs of playing cards with the court cards and jokers removed. Ideally, each player ’s ’s cards cards should have different coloured backs to help to keep the decks distinct. In play, “activation “activation”” cards are always placed behind the unit concerned. Cards played for all all other purposes (shooting, melee, saves, etc.) are placed in a discard deck on the base line. Set up The up The host sets up terrain and the other players decide which side of the table they prefer to play from. One player on each side cuts the deck; the highest becomes “active”. active”. The The inactive player places 3 baggage markers in separate boxes, with at least one in the central zone, and then the active player does likewise. One of the “inactive” players then deploys a command somewhere in the 2 rows of boxes nearest him (if the table is 7 or less boxes deep), or 3 rows (if 8 or more). No units may be placed in the extreme left or right columns. All units in a command must be placed in adjacent boxes. Next, one of the active pla yers places a command, and this alternating process continues until all commands have been deployed on the table. Player turn sequence sequence Firstly, the active army’s commanding general may make a “command move” of 2 boxes including diagonals, if on foot, or 3 if mounted, to position him where he will be most useful. Next, each player on the active side decides which of his commands he prefers to activate first. Before any units are activated, each command’s general may also make a command move, as above. After this, the player picks any box containing un its from the command, and states what either one unit or both units within it will attempt to do, e.g. “Third and fourth cohorts will move here ” (pointing). He then plays the top card from his deck in an attempt to activate the unit or units, to either:      

Move or Move or charge one charge one box straight forwards (or two if mounted) Move or charge one box diagonally forward, facing in the same direction (+1 more ahead, if mounted) Move or charge into rough terrain Move backwards one box (or two if mounted), facing in the same or the opposite direction Move, permitting units to change facing within a box (and move one box directly ahead if mounted) Shoot, Shoot, or replenish one ammunition marker

Rally

Initial activations (unless one of the difficult activations, activations , indicated in red italics above) succeed on a 2 or greater pip-value card. If successful, another card can be played to activate the unit/s again, but this will only succeed if the pip value of the new card is greater than that of any previous card played upon it. Alternatively, the player might choose to attempt to activate any other unit within the same command on a 2+ card (unless difficult). A player can later return to activate previously activated units again, so a unit might be able to activate multiple times in a turn, perhaps perhaps moving, charging, rallying and charging again. However, once any















[email protected] Formed troops can move or charge through friendly unformed troops that are facing in the same or opposite direction, and vice versa. Troops cannot enter a box containing enemy units, although they may enter a box containing a lone enemy general, who is immediately displaced to join the nearest unit in his command. In addition to the command move, described above, a general may accompany any unit, in the same box, that moves or charges. A general may be able to move several times during the same turn. Charging Units that successfully charge, “melee” with a defending unit across the intervening box edge. They don’t enter the box into which they are charging (although ( although see “advances”). “advances”). Infantry can charge straight or diagonally ahead into an adjacent box. Mounted can move one box directly forward, and then charge likewise. A unit cannot charge diagonally when there is an enemy unit directly to its front, or through a gap between friendly units to both its front and flank. Light troops cannot charge a formed unit frontally, unless the formed unit is disordered. Mounted cannot charge elephants. Shooting After Shooting After a unit successfully activates to shoot, a second card is played and a hit is achieved on an 8+. Targets that are hit must “save” (see “save” (see below). Shooters must target the nearest enemy. Javelinmen can shoot into the 3 boxes to their front; bow or sling armed units can shoot into these boxes and the 3 boxes, beyond. Units start with a lim ited supply of ammunition (“ammo (“ ammo””), indicated by a pile of counters behind the unit. Archers/slingers start with 3 ammo and javelinmen with 2. 1 ammo is expended each time a unit shoots. Instead of shooting, a successful activation can instead be used to replace 1 previously-expended ammo. Rallying A Rallying A successful rally activation allows a “disordered” disordered” unit (see below), to draw a saving card. If the unit passes this save, then a disorder marker is removed. Rallies are always difficult activations. activations . Evading Evading Mounted, charged by infantry or elephants, may attempt to evade. A light unit charged by any formed unit must attempt attempt to evade, except when in rough terrain, when it may choose to stand. Evades must be into an adjacent box that the unit could legitimately enter, either directly away from the direction of the charge or to its rear. Additionally, lights may interpenetrate friendly troops and pass through to a box beyond, or evade behind a formed unit within the same box. Should a unit be unable to evade, or fail to, a melee is resolved normally. Mounted evades succeed on a 4+ card, and infantry on 6+. Melee Melee Charging units play one card, hitting hitting on 6+, or 8+ if disordered or lights. Charging elephants, or warband making their first charge of a game, play two hit cards. Units charging against an enemy unit’s flank or rear play an additional card. After making any required saves, the defending defending unit may play a card to hit back, unless it has been destroyed, has retreated, or the attack came from its flank or rear. A general must save whenever any unit in his box is lost. Retreats A Retreats A unit forced to retreat may move either to its rear or directly away from the direction of the attack. If it can do neither, it must save against an additional hit. Any other unit present in the box must remain there. Advances Advances Following evades or melee, should no defending units remain in the box, then the charging unit must advance in. Any other unit or general in the same box may accompany. Saves In Saves In order to save, a unit must draw a card equal to or greater than its modified saving factor:   

All mounted, light infantry, elephants, warband, phalangitae 7+ Legionaries/auxiliaries/hoplites 6+ Generals 3+ +1/-1 defender/attacker save modifiers if in melee with tactical advantage, or shot at in cover















[email protected] Part 3 The “To the Strongest!” Advanced Rules The advanced rules take the concepts explained in the basic rules, and add extra detail and period colour. 3.1 More about activations In general, the activation process is very straightforward. circumstances that can occasionally arise.

However it is useful to clarify some unusual

Where there are two units in a box, the activating player must specify whether he wants to activate just one, or both of them simultaneously. Sometimes, a situation will arise when two units will end up in the same box, but with different pip-value cards on them, from previous activations. In this instance, a player wishing to activate both units together must play a card that is greater in pip-value than the higher of the two cards. Where two units are in a box that have previously activated together and one of them then activates an additional time on its own, then put the new activation card on this unit and leave the previous (lower pip) card on the previous unit. 3.2 Terrain It was always challenging to deploy and control large armies in ancient times, and even more difficult when terrain or weather conditions blocked a general’s line of sight. For this reason, the majority of ancient battles, especially the larger ones, were fought on plains, and sometimes completely featureless plains, at that. However engagements sometimes took place in very difficult terrain, which could have a major influence on the outcome. In TtS!, terrain is the term used to describe the roads, trees, buildings, hills and so forth that can influence the course of the battle, usually by impeding movement activations, melee and shooting. Terrain that impedes the movement of some or all types of troop is called called “rough terrain”. Some types of terrain provide limited protection against enemy shooting and block “line of sight”. 3.2.1 Terrain features Terrain features that sit inside a box include:



   

Open spaces represent fields, meadows or similar, and impede neither movement nor line of sight. They are important in TtS!, as they can be used to restrict the other player’s terrain placement. Ideally open spaces should be attractively modelled, to add to the variety and aesthetic appeal of the table Broken ground represents a range of terrain types, including small rocky outcrops, outcrops, thick ground vegetation such as heather, soft sand, or exceptionally wet and and muddy ground. Broken ground counts as rough terrain to mounted and phalangitae, only . Broken ground doesn’t block line of sight sight Dense forests, which which are completely impassable to all troops, and block block line line of sight Woods, or or vine-stakes vine-stakes are rough terrain, provide cover and block line of sight sight Marshes counts as rough terrain, but don’t provide cover or block line of sight Low hills grant a tactical advantage to defending infantry, when defending defending in melee. Note that infantry do not get the same benefit attacking attacking out of them. They block line of sight, but troops on hills can see















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Streams represent rather less significant waterways waterways than rivers, and run along the edge of boxes. Crossing a stream (except along a road) provides the same movement and charge activation penalties as entering entering rough terrain. Units defending against against attacks across a stream count tactical advantage in melee, and attackers do not gain the usual additional hit dice when attacking a defender’s flank or rear across a stream Field fortifications include include the marching camps surrounded by ditches and banks of the Romans, Romans, the wagon laagers drawn up by the Gauls and Germans and other defences that were (rarely) erected on the ancient battlefield. Players often use field fortifications to protect their baggage markers . They are particularly hard to cross, and units attempting to charge or move across them need to draw a card two pips higher than usual, except when moving through an undefended gateway, which they can do without penalty. Fortifications improve the saves of defending units which are shot at, across them, or attacked across them in melee, and decrease the saves of units attacking across them, by two. Units defending field fortifications have access to additional additional ammunition supplies, supplies, and do not need to expend ammo in order to shoot. Units do not gain the usual additional hit dice dice when attacking a defender’s flank or rear across for tifications. for tifications. Fortifications block line of sight, except for units inside, who can see and fire over friendly troops.

Linear terrain features which run through the centre of a box, include:

Roads or tracks. These had relatively little import on the ancient ancient battlefield, where units generally moved in lines or in deep formations, such as the Macedonian pike phalanx. However, roads/tracks remove the “difficult” activation penalty for units moving (but not charging) along them, through rough terrain

3.2.2 Terrain density In many games, one or both players will position a number of terrain pieces by agreement with each other. However, sometimes for a more formal, competitive game, such as a tournament, it is useful to have a set of rules to regulate the amount and positioning of terrain. For every 24 boxes on the gaming table, each player should receive a single box-sized terrain piece and a double box-sized terrain piece. So, for a typical medium-sized, 96 box table, each player would receive four single box-sized terrain pieces, and four double box pieces. No more than half of the terrain pieces received should be rough or impassable terrain, and no more than half open spaces. Players may choose replace one of their pieces pieces with a road or track, and another with a stream. stream. At least some and ideally all of the terrain pieces should be appropriate for their army, so a player with an Arab army, for example, might chose to t o provide one single box and two double box sand dunes (low hills), a n oasis (an impassable small lake) and one large, steep hill. Players might also like to bring a few trees and other character pieces that can be dotted around the board, for aesthetic purposes, but which which have no impact impact on the game. The player with the Arab army might perhaps bring some date palms to sit alongside the oasis, some olive trees and an olive press. Players will also want to bring two to four baggage markers, such as Bedouin tents or a herd of tethered camels. 3.2.3 Terrain positioning Players take it in in turn to place terrain pieces, starting with the pieces that sit within boxes. Pieces may be placed anywhere on the table, but each player must place at least one non-open space piece in each of the















[email protected] is already a terrain piece in that box, or because it would take the piece off the table, or if the card is a 9 or 10 then it remains where it is. 3.2.4 Line of sight Line of sight is important to units equipped with missile weapons, because troops who cannot trace line of sight to a target, are not permitted to shoot. Line of sight is traced from the centre point of the firing firing box to the centre point of the target box. Line of sight can be traced into boxes containing some terrain types, such as woods, but not through them into a box beyond. It cannot be traced through boxes containing units unless the shooter is elevated on a hill, building or in a fortification, as described above. Finally, line of sight cannot be traced along a diagonal diagonal between two units.

















[email protected] 4.0 Specialist units The rules in this section expand upon the basic rules, providing descriptions and details of the troop-types already described and introducing additional categories of ancient soldiery to those . Artillery was rarely used on the ancient battlefield, but is included in the rules because the Romans Rom ans and Macedonians did occasionally deploy it, and because the author suspects that it may have been used more often than the written records suggest. Artillery is an unformed unit type. It can shoot at any troops within 4 boxes, including diagonals. Artillery commences a battle with 3 ammo, and saves on an 8+. Artillery cannot move, except when mounted in carts, when it can move as if infantry. Artillery can never charge. Auxiliaries in TtS! describe the formations of non-citizen infantry raised in the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus onward, and the Germanic auxiliarii that increasingly replaced legionarii in the later Empire. They are adequately armoured and protected with shields, but but lack the drill drill and pila of the legionaries. However they are sound troops, and less expensive! Camelry were occasionally used on the ancient battlefield in place of cavalry. The fact that they were but rarely used on the ancient battlefield suggests to the author that the camel was a rather less reliable fighting platform than was the horse. In TtS!, the unreliability of the camel as a steed is considered to cancel out the disorder experienced by unfamiliar cavalry when first encountering them. Cataphracts were exceptionally well-armoured cavalrymen, riding protected horses, first introduced within nomad cultures, but later favoured by eastern kingdoms of Parthia and Sassanid Persia, and the later Romans. Their heavy armour enables them to save on a 5+. The exceptional weight of their rider’s rider’s armour meant that cataphracts horses tired easily, and the lack of visibility and poor hearing of the riders due to their face-protecting helmets seems to have made them particularly prone to disorder. Consequently, cataphracts take a hit each time an ace is is played whilst attempting to activate to move them two or more boxes, or to charge. This hit applies even in the event that the card is subsequently replaced by a general, and cannot be saved against. Chariots in TtS! refers to those two and four horse heavier chariots that were used by the Carthaginians and Indians, amongst others. They are more stoutly stoutly built than light chariots, and typically carried crews of 3-4 men. They perform in much the same manner as the cavalry who eventually superseded them on the battlefield, as horses became larger and better able to carry riders.















[email protected] In TtS!, fanatics, like warband, are always deep units. When attempting their first charge of a game, if this is successful, fanatics may play two cards to hit (instead of the usual one). The only difference between f anatics and warband is that the former always hit on a 6+, even after they have become disordered. Hoplites Hoplites are the heavy infantry of the classical classical Greek world. They were exceptionally well protected for the time, with large shield, bronze helmet, helmet, linen or metal cuirass, and sometimes greaves. The long reach of their relatively long spears provides a tactical advantage against cavalry who are attacking them from the front. Hoplite formations tended to drift to the right, as each man tried to tuck himself in behind his neighbour’s protective shield. Hoplite units can, therefore, move diagonally to the right without the standard difficult penalty. They are not permitted, however, to move diagonally to their left front. Hoplites can fight as deep units. Indian elephants were generally larger and better trained than the African elephants in the basic rules, and consequently save on a 6+, rather than the 7+ of the African beast. Javelinmen in TtS! describe those troops who are armed with a javelin and a relatively small shield, and who group loosely together to fight in the line of battle. These include and formed infantry with one ammo, such as Spanish scutarii or or Samnites. Legionaries represent the professional troops of the Romans, from the Polybian army in its triple axies formation, through the Empire until the later period when professional infantry was progressively replaced by infantry and cavalry of Germanic origin. They also include foreign troops trained and equipped to fight in the Roman manner. They have a relatively high save factor of between 5+ and 7+, depending upon the level of their experience, due to their superior drill, armour and large shields. Legionaries (including spear-armed triarii, and triarii, and velite or velite or lanciarii light light infantry) fought in highly flexible maniples or cohortes, cohortes, and have an additional move activation not permitted to other troops:

Move, permitting two legionary units within the same box to exchange places, or a legionary unit to exchange places with another unit facing the same direction, in the box in front or behind*

Legionaries begin a game with a single pila single pila ammunition ammunition marker. Pila are a missile weapon, but unusually are thrown when the unit is frontally charged, or is charging an enemy unit, just prior to resolving the melee. It is therefore possible that the enemy may be disordered before the melee, with the consequent penalties in the melee phase. The pila ammo marker, unlike other ammo markers, cannot be replaced during play. In games such as Roman Civil War battles, where the majority of units are legionaries, consider omitting pila in order to speed play.















[email protected] Phalangitae are Phalangitae are the drilled professional and semi-professional soldiers of Macedon and the Successor states. Equipped with with 16’ to 20’ long sarissa pikes gripped two -handed, they fought shoulder-to-shoulder in exceptionally deep formations. In TtS!, phalangitae always fight as deep units. When a unit of phalangitae, itself in clear terrain, both charges and hits a less-deep enemy unit which is also in clear terrain, the enemy must retreat, and cannot hit back, even if it saves. Scythed chariots were sturdily constructed, constructed, and festooned with blades and scythes. They usually had a single crewman and four horses. Driven directly at enemy formations, the the crewman might bail bail before contact, or swerve away if the enemy did not break and run. Although much beloved by despots from Asia Minor and Syria, the results they achieved in battle were distinctly mixed; often they inflicted more damage on their own side, than on the enemy. Scythed chariots cannot enter any form of rough terrain. They can evade. Scythed chariots need to build up momentum when charging. When charging 2 boxes, they may play 2 cards to hit. When charged, or when they are charging only into an adjacent box, box, they play a single card. Sparabara are Sparabara are an Ancient Persian troop type, where the front rank soldiers carried a large shield and spear but all the following ranks were archers. Densely-packed sparabara archers could put out a very very high volume of arrows, for which reason the Athenians charged them at the double, at Marathon. However, lacking personal shields, sparabara were vulnerable in close combat against determined opponents, as was demonstrated at Plataea. Sparabara are deep units and start with with three ammo. When they successfully activate to shoot, they expend one ammo but draw two to hit cards, instead of the usual one, so can potentially inflict two hits on a target. Sparabara count as in cover against missile fire, however any troops fighting against them count tactical advantage in melee. Spearmen in TtS! describe those troops who are armed with a relatively long spear, used two handed, and a smallish shield, who group together closely to fight in the line of battle. The length of their spears provides a tactical advantage against cavalry who are attacking them from the front. These include the Picts and Welsh. Thorakitae Thorakitae were a more heavily armed version of Thureophoroi, wearing new-fangled chain cuirasses. As with thureophoroi, they can be deployed either as a formed or as a deep formed javelin-armed unit, with one ammo, but they have a higher save of 6+. Thureophoroi were Thureophoroi were Hellenistic mercenary infantry equipped with oval “door stop” shaped shields, spears and















[email protected] 3.4 Advanced set up In the advanced games, this replaces the setup section in the Basic rules. First, players decide whether they to play the stand ard “fair and open battle”, or a scenario. Terrain is chosen and placed as described either according to the rules on terrain positioning, or according to the scenario description. Deployment One player on each side cuts the deck, and the pip value of the card is modified as described in scouting. The highest becomes the “active” side, “active” side, and the other, the “inactive”. The inactive player places his baggage markers. These must be in separate boxes, within the row of boxes along his baseline. At least one of the markers must be placed in the central zone. A baggage marker may replace any existing terrain in in a box. Once the inactive player has finished placing his baggage, then the active player places his baggage. The inactive player now places any field fortifications, and then the active player does likewise. Players draw a number of Stratagem cards from their Stratagem deck, according to the number purchased in their order of battle. One of the inactive players then deploys a command somewhere in the first 2 rows of boxes nearest him (if the table is 7 or less boxes boxes deep), or first 3 rows (if 8 boxes or more deep). No units may be placed in the extreme left or right columns. All units within a command must be placed in adjacent boxes. Next, one of the active players places a command, and this alternating process continues until all of the commands have beenodeployed on the table. (Mention off table units)















[email protected] 3.5 Optional rules These optional rules are not recommended for novice players, who will already have plenty to take on board in their first few games. games. However, they add “colour” and players ar e likely to enjoy them once they have become familiar with the main rules. Deep units include all phalangitae, sparabara and warband, and some hoplites, thureophoroi and thorakitae, amongst others. Historically these formations were were often around 16 ranks deep, and formations 32 and 50 ranks deep are recorded. They are represented on the table by a formation deeper than usual, typically 3 or 4 ranks, or more ranks still if the miniatures are available. As in the basic rules, deep units become disordered after failing a first save, and double-disordered after a second. They are lost if they should fail a further save. The depth of a deep unit makes it particularly challenging for them to manoeuvre, or move or charge when in rough terrain, and so these difficult manoeuvres only succeed when the card played is two pips two pips greater than would normally be required for a normal move or charge. (Is this in the right place?) Great Generals are the military prodigies of their age: Epaminondas, Alexander or Caesar. They are always the commander-in-chief of their army. In the instance that a unit has failed to activate, a great general may make an additional special command move of up to 3 boxes, including diagonals, to join it and allow it to draw a replacement card. This special move is not permitted in the event that a replacement card has already been drawn for the unit by a subgeneral who was already present in the box. The special command move is in addition to any command move made at the beginning of the player turn. Heroes represent the exceptionally brave unit commanders, junior officers and rankers whose names sometimes come down to us in the surviving ancient texts: the centurions Scaeva at Dyrrachium and Crastinus at Pharsalus, and the auxiliary cavalryman Longinus at the siege of Jerusalem, for example. Their heroic behaviour can inspire a unit and reverse a failing situation. Heroes are assigned to units at the outset of the game, when indicated by a scenario. scenario. Once per game, they permit their unit to retake either a failed charge test, or a failed saving roll, and are then removed from play. In a campaign, heroes survive their act of heroism on a 3+ card, and can be used again in the next battle.

















[email protected] Testudo is the Roman formation, much beloved of Hollywood (and British!) film-makers, where Roman legionaries form a shell of shields to protect themselves against attacks from all direction, including from above. Historically, this formation, which is only available to Roman legionaries, was used to assault fortifications. In TTS! it reduces the standard +2/-2 (defender/attacker) tactical advantage when charging field fortifications to +1/-1, and confers a +1 modifier on saves vs. missile attacks. Despite what one sees in the movies, however, testudo was not a viable combat formation and troops in testudo are at tactical disadvantage in melee in all other circumstances other than when charging field fortifications (-1/+1 on saves). To form testudo, or form line from testudo, a unit must make a difficult move. Veteran units represent those formations who, through a mixture of battle, campaigning and training have become markedly more effective than the average. They receive a Raw units represent those formations whose training and experience are of a markedly poorer quality than the average. Wedge Macedonian companions, Thessalian and some Byzantine cavalry regularly fought in wedge formation. Wedges were designed to be highly manoeuvrable, and could change direction far more easily than could a line, turning 90 or 180 degrees. Accordingly, wedges disregard the difficult penalty when moving or charging diagonally. Where two wedges share a box, one should be positioned slightly ahead of the other, to indicate that it is the leading unit. To form wedge, or form line line from wedge, a unit must make a difficult move.















[email protected] 3.6 Stratagems Stratagems are an additional section of optional rules that that add even more colour to the basic rules. They represent the ploys that generals adopted to gain an advantage on the battlefield, and the occasional random event that could change the course of a battle. Stratagems may be purchased from the army list, when building an army, or awarded as part of a scenario. Once the battlefield has been set up, and before deployment, each player draws a card for every stratagem he has purchased in his army list, from the Stratagem deck, which is composed of the court cards left over when the activation decks are built. This should have 26 cards; two of each of the court cards, and 2 jokers.            

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Jack of Hearts- Forced march Jack of Clubs- Delay Jack of Diamonds- Confusion Jack of Spades- Treachery! Queen of Hearts- Where in in Hades did that come from? Queen of Clubs- Cry havoc, and loose the pigs of war! Queen of Diamonds- Inclement weather Queen of Spades- Tonight we dine in hell! King of Hearts- Ambush King of Clubs- Flank march King of Diamonds- Reserves King of Spades- Lost! Joker- Player’s choice















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the chargers must make a save or become disordered. After they have done this, the card is discarded Inclement weather, weather, perhaps a sudden shower of rain, dust storm or the glare of a low sun, temporarily halts missile fire. This card prevents archers and ballistae from shooting during the entire player turn in which it is played Tonight we we dine in hell! (Queen of Spades) Perhaps in response to an enemy atrocity, a desire desire for loot or simply due to an excess of mead, a single unit, selected by the player, comes to the battle exceptionally highly motivated. The player should write down which which unit he has chosen before deployment. When the card is played, played, the unit receives a hero, unless it already has one, and may remove any one disorder marker that is on the unit. The unit may not, however, be rallied for the remainder of the battle.

The next four stratagems all require the player to not deploy one of his his units at the start of the game. game . The unit selected may not be either elephants or scythed chariots. The unit, if in a single-unit command, may be accompanied by its general. The activation tests required to bring a unit onto onto the table will either be made by the command from which the unit was taken, or by its own general if in a single unit command. It may be apparent to the other player, because of the off-table unit, that one of the below stratagems is in play. However, even when making activation attempts the owning player does not need to advise which stratagem card or cards he has, and indeed there can be considerable advantage in maintaining an air of suspense as to where the missing unit actually is... 

Ambush A player with with this stratagem may conceal a single unit of light infantry or or light cavalry/chariots in ambush in any once piece of terrain that blocks line of sight, including hills, or (infantry only) in an area of broken terrain, anywhere on his half of the table. He must record where the unit is hiding. The unit will be placed on the table either once it has been activated by the owning















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Tactical Advantage Tactical advantage describes whether a unit benefits from a bonus (or penalty) to its saving rolls, either due to terrain, to its formation or to the nature of a particular particular weapon with which it is equipped. It is expressed as +1/-1, where the first number is the modifier to the pip value of any saving cards that the defender may draw, and the second that of the attacker. Normal tactical advantages due to terrain include:   

Infantry uphill, defending vs. charge Any, defending vs. charge across a stream Any, in rough going, defending vs. charging mounted or phalangitae Any, charging mounted or phalangitae who are in rough going

Troops defending field fortifications gain a special +2/-2 tactical advantage:

Any, charged across field fortifications

Tactical advantage related to weapons include:

Cavalry vs. infantry with long spear or pike, frontally

Tactical advantage due to formation include:-















[email protected] 3.7 Advice for aspiring generals At the start of any command’s turn, a player should remem ber to use a command move to position its general in the most useful position for the activations that will shortly follow. The general might need, for example, to lead a critical charge, or bring up a unit that has fallen behind, or rally a disordered unit. In To the Strongest!, attacking units do not receive a bonus for the presence of a general. However, the presence of a general in a box enables a player to draw a replacement card should a charge fail, or a replacement rally card in in the event of a setback. This greatly reduces the the risk of a turn ending in the box that the general is in. After this, careful though t should be given to the order of activation of the units within the command, in order that the most critical moves are made before a failed activation ends the command’s turn. There is at least a 10% chance of the command’s turn ending each time a unit or units are activated, and a rather greater chan ce of failure when any are activated a second or third time. For this reason, it is usually best to activate most units in a command once, before returning to activate any for a rather riskier second or third time. It is also often worth activating any units in the box with the general, early in the sequence, due to his replacement card. Example of play In the below example, it is is the Roman player’s move. He decides to activate a command led by his tribune, and consisting of 3 cohorts of legionaries, one of foederati javelinmen and one of auxiliary infantry.

















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markers is removed. He plays an 8 pip card (on his baseline) to hit, and so the Cherusci need to make a save (on their baseline), which they fail on a 2, becoming disordered nd To protect his left flank, he charges the Chatti light infantrywith the 2 Tungrians. These need a 3 or more to charge, due to the rough terrain of the wood, and succeed on an 8. The Chatti could choose to stand and fight, as they are in rough terrain, but instead elect to evade. Paying a 6 pip card (on their baseline), they succeed and fall back 1 box rd Having advanced all his his units, the general finally decides to attack the Chatti Chatti warband with the 3 Cohort. He needs to play a 5 or greater pip card (exceeding the earlier 4) in order to succeed, and luckily plays a 7. He then plays a 4 pip card (on his baseline) to hit, missing. The Chatti hit back with rd a 7 pip card (on their baseline), forcing the 3 Cohort to attempt a save. Requiring a 6, the Romans instead play an ace (on their baseline), fail and become disordered

Rather than attempt a further attack with his now-disordered unit, the Roman player decides that he must rd th either rally the disordered 3 Cohort, or exchange its position with the fresh 4 Cohort. This latter would be a















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7 cohort can charge the Nervii diagonally, because there is no enemy unit to its front

How a charge/melee can be resolved inside 10 seconds The card-based rules enable melees to be resolved rather more quickly than in most other systems. With practise, a melee can usually be resolved inside 10 seconds. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Charge Charge - the attacker plays a card to activate a unit to charge Evade - Some defenders may be able to evade. If the evade is is successful, and the box is now vacant, the attacker must move in, and the melee is concluded Attacker hits – hits – if if the charge was successful the attacker plays a card to hit, requiring either a 6 or 8 hit depending upon whether it is formed, or unformed/disordered. Defender saves – – if hit, the defender must make a save. Each unit has a save factor, sometimes modified by terrain. If the defender fails, fails, the unit may be disordered, or lost. If lost, and the box is now vacant, the attacker must move in, and that melee is concluded















[email protected] 4.0 Competitive Play

4.1 Points Values and Saves Many players will want to fight battles with armies that are broadly matched in terms of combat strength, or an approximate measure of how powerful one army is, compared to another, for a scenario. Below are point values for the troop-types used in TtS! Unit costs are normally normally coloured red in order to distinguish them from saving saving card numbers. Costs in parentheses are for deep units. Players should each build an army to an agreed total points total. 100 points gives a good two player game, playable in 1-2 hours. 130 points will be enough to keep four players interested.















[email protected] *It costs more to upgrade formed units to veteran, than it does lights, as they become rather more powerful. Conversely, light units downgraded to raw include those units poorly trained or equipped for close combat (typically shield-less and without a sword).















[email protected] 4.2 Army Lists Army lists provide an excellent and quick way to build an army which has a composition broadly similar to those used in historical conflicts. 100 points should give a good-sized game, easily playable in an evening. Below are two sample army lists:Early Principate (or Early Imperial) Roman 27BC to 96AD Generals (mounted)

3-5 @6

Equites SingularesSingulares- cavalry, veteran, javelin, save 6+

0-1* @10

















[email protected] This list covers the early Roman Empire, from the beginning of the reign of Augustus 27BC to the end of the Flavian dynasty in 96AD.















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This list covers the British from the appearance of chariot burials in the 6 century BC, through the Roman conquest and (in the case of the Brigantines) up until the departure of the Roman field army in 407AD.















[email protected] 4.3 Scenarios The standard scenario is "fair is "fair and open battle"

In this, two armies, fully deployed, deployed, stare each other down















[email protected] 4.4 Club games Because it is quick to set up and quick to play, the To the Strongest! rule set is extremely suitable for use in a















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Part V Campaign Rules



















































To the Strongest 2.1g Edited

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